3 Reds players whose 40-man roster spot is in jeopardy as the MLB trade deadline approaches

2. Michael Siani may lose his spot on the Reds 40-man roster.

When the Cincinnati Reds selected Michael Siani in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, they knew that developing the high school talent into a bone fide major leaguer would be a challenge.

But with the raw tools that Siani possessed, it was well worth the risk. The Reds went over-slot value into order to sign Siani, but his production since joining the organization has been rather pedestrian.

Sure, Siani's speed and defensive skills are off the charts. You could line up the 23-year-old in the Reds outfield today and he'd undoubtedly be the team's best defender by a long shot. Siani's elite speed plus his ability to read the ball off the bat put him in the category of a potential Gold Glover.

But his bat is another story. Now, Michael Siani has developed a much better eye at the dish, and otver the past two seasons has been able to raise his walk-rate above 12-percent. But that flash of power Siani showed last season at Double-A (. 417 slugging percentage) has not carried over to 2023.

Siani's slugging percentage in 70-plus games at Triple-A Louisville is hovering right around .300, and his on-base percentage has dropped off as well. The Cincinnati Reds would run the risk of losing Siani if he was DFA'd, but with TJ Friedl cemented as the team's centerfielder, the former fourth-rounder may be expendable.